Newsgroups: alt.pagan
Subject: Open Letter To Pagan Community from Buddhist Bigwig
From: david.pollard@renais.uucp (David Pollard)
Date: Sun, 26 Dec 93 23:19:00 -0600

I have not seen this come across the newsgroup, so I though I should
post it:

The following is an "Open Letter" to the Pagan Community from one of
the nations "top" Buddhists (in a non-hierarchical way) and appeared
in the recent Winter '93-'94 Green Egg. Since it's an "Open Letter" I
doubt I'm stomping on anyone's copyright so feel free to copy it
around as you feel appropriate.

From GREEN EGG Vol 26 #103 Winter 93-94 page 27

An Open Letter to the Pagan Community

Greetings to the Pagan Community:
   I am director of the International Buddhist Meditation Center, the
oldest Amercian Buddhist Temple. My job is to work with groups and
foundations that promote pluralism and world harmony and foster the
human condition and spirit. I have many personal sympathies to
Paganism as my own spouse is a Wiccan in the Norse tradition. I have
learned much about the process of interfaith dialogue. I have worked
closely with, and count among my friends, members of many religions
and inter- faith groups. I understand their fears and foibles.
   It is urgent that you understand the way it really is to become a
member of the interfaith community if you truly desire to be accepted
into the American mainstream and the international religious community
in general, and to diffuse the automatic negative reaction to the word
"witch".
   Our entire society is being pulled inexorably into a single global
village aided by technology and the growing awareness of world crises.
There is no gain, but much loss, in attempting to hide.
   You have already gained much: Pagans have interested seekers,
friends and sympathizers in more places than you might think. That
Paganism is the fastest-growing religious movement in the country is
partly due to the fact that the New Age movement did not satisfy many
seeking  a true Path. Paganism is more a component of American life
than may be outwardly apparent.
   Walk the Middle Path and you'll have less resistance. Seek the
recognition you deserve in an approachable manner. To win personal
trust, let others know that you're ordinary folk like them and dialogue
over commonalities. Eventually, when you have the strength of personal
friendships to support you, being to address the big differences and
old grievances.
   With regard to this, as you initally make contact, don't smokescreen
people with excessive costumery - a phenomenon which I was disappointed
to see at the recent Parliament of World Religions. Many Pagans are
still in that militant mode that is a normal part of "coming out" an
early phase that should be matured past. Many high-profile Pagans
remind me of the old "Bull-Dyke" lesbians of the last decades. They're
not letting the pendulum swing back to normal. An example of this is
the old COG literature: complete inappropriate and damaging, in that
it was righteous, hostile and emphasized the trivial, never presenting
the more interesting philosophical aspects of Wicca. I am very pleased
to find their new literature much, much better.
   A sacred rule of dialogue is: once you've established good personal
relations, be frank about your feelings and do not gloss over anything
you object to. Pagans caught in the common, adolescent attitude of
defiance need to grow out of it, or at least they should not be in
public positions that will hurt or embarrass the movement, and
definitely not dialoguers, negotiators, publicists or anything that
is contact for the media, public or other organizations.
   You don't have to compromise your basic religious tenets, but you
do have to get rid of outdated, inflexible attitudes which make you no
better than the people who vehemently oppose you. Today you must be
savvy world citizens. Twentieth century rationalism allows many cosmo-
politan people to pooh-pooh old supersition.
   Think of the rewards. You've already made inroads and some major
gains, such as being recognized officially at the Parliament. There,
in an extraordinary move, the Chicago Archdiocese intervened to gain
you your park permit for a full moon ritual. Granted, the Cardinal did
it under some duress, but he could have not helped at all. Your
delegates sat next to and were received with openness by members of
many faith groups. With further introductions and personal dialogues,
people will be able to say to their colleagues, "Pagans? Oh, yeah, I
know them. They're good people."
   When Paganism becomes acceptable to mainstream America, you won't
have to fear for your lives, homes, jobs, children.  The road is long
and sometimes hard, but not impossible. There are many logistical and
tactical approaches to greatly facilitate this which can be explored
at length in this atmosphere of mutual respect.
   So decide what you will do. If you hold back, others will not be
able to protect you from injustice. You must come out enought to meet
society half way, even if it means taking some blows. This has always
been the way of civil rights gains. But you won't be alone, and you
can count on the guidance of those who have already walked this path.
   Please deeply examine this issue among yourselves. Your Buddhist
friends await.
                              Yours in love and support,
                              Chrys Thorsen